Tuesday, June 9, 2009

I Know We're Going to be Okay Because We Can Laugh About This Stuff

We are in the midst of sorting through Sissy’s belongings and preparing her house for auction. To say she had a lot of stuff is like saying the Pope wears a funny looking hat. We have 3000 square feet of house to empty, and we’d like to get it done so it’s not hanging over our heads all summer and we can move forward in our grief. Hubby, me and Teen Angel sort through a box at a time when we’re at the house feeding Sissy’s cat, and we worked in the garage this past weekend. Teen Angel and Hubby’s sister worked there today and yesterday. Because Mama J. is the executrix of the estate, she is in charge of making decisions about what stays, what gets sold and what gets thrown away. She sits on the fold down chair of her walker and supervises the work. It took her a while to work up the energy to get started on this project, but she finally waded in with a toe or two last week. But it’s slow moving because she wants to save everything. EVERYTHING. And when I say everything, I mean stuff that no one is going to use (ie...old soap) or want to buy at an auction. Yesterday, she put a box of tampons in a “sale” box. Teen Angel yanked them out and very nicely explained to Mama J. why an auctioneer will not want to hold up a box of feminine hygiene products for bids. Mama J. seemed confused and moved on to the half used cosmetics.

The work continued today, and this afternoon I received some texts from Teen Angel describing the lack of progress and Mama J.’s unwillingness to turn loose of anything. Before you read it, you should know two things. One-Sophie is my niece’s three year old daughter. Two-Mama J. often confuses the purpose of particular items or the names of things and places. Like the time she wrote “straight penis” on her grocery list instead of “straight pins”. Anyway, the texts gave me the best chuckle I’d had all day and let me know that we really are going to get through this because we can laugh about it.

Hula-“Try to be patient.”Teen Angel-“That’s the operative word. The point of this is 2 eliminate junk not keep EVERYTHING. Nobody wants half this stuff and can I just say Sophie does not need used earrings to wear as toe rings.”Hula-“Does she need some tampons to play with?”Teen Angel-“Exactly what I was going to say!"

I love the relationship you and TA have. Priceless. Can you possibly have another box in the general area that you could "say" was a keeper box but in fact is a throwaway box? Or would she see right thru that?

As a girl who grew up in the auction business (my grandparents owned an auction barn), I will tell you that when the auctioneers come out to "list" the auction, they will also go through the boxes. While they won't toss anything, you can make it a point to come along--trash bag in tow, if you get my drift. Mama J will never know. : )

while being frugal is an admirable trait of that generation it does grate the nerves!! I remember cleaning out my grandmothers house last year! Oy Vey! the things she kept! Every Cool Whip container from every dessert and pumpkin pie she topped for the last 50 years!!